Process Budgets for Consumers Never Served by F/EA

Policy:

F/EA ensures that consumers are not established in F/EA’s payroll system until a budget has been received. This is an internal control to ensure that payments are never made on a participant's behalf until the budget is received. After a budget has been received for a participant and verified by the <<Staff Title>>, the <<Staff Title>> is notified to continue establishment of the participant with state tax agencies and in applicable payroll systems. Any timesheets received that are not covered by a budget are denied.

Budgets are processed by the <<Staff Title>> daily. Customer Service Unit is notified daily of consumers who do not yet have state tax ID numbers, but for whom a budget has been received.

Use this procedure for any consumers who are not yet in the payroll system when a budget is received.

Procedure:

Upon receipt of the budget, <<Staff Title>> looks for participant in payroll system.
If participant is not found, <<Staff Title>> uses this process.
Place budget in inbox called "Establish Consumer in Systems"
Each day, <<Staff Title>> takes all budgets in "Establish Consumer in Systemss" inbox to process paperwork for the participant to obtain the appropriate Tax ID numbers
<<Staff Title>> obtains quality checked paperwork for all consumers in the inbox
<<Staff Title>> provides start-up paperwork and list to <<Payroll Department>> to set-up
<<Payroll Department>> enters into the payroll systems all consumers who have an EIN and completed start-up paperwork
After setting up all consumers in the payroll system, <<Staff Title>> uses applicable policy and procedure manual to enter budget in the systems and issue a welcome package to the participant.

Internal Controls:

The internal controls used by F/EA to monitor this process establish responsibility, segregate duties, document procedures and ensure independent internal verification.

All systems are password protected
Only staff with direct responsibility for certain budget duties have password access to systems
Budget information cannot be entered in to Payroll System to permit payment of timesheets unless participant has been entered in Payroll System
Customer Service reviews when a participant has completed applicable paperwork to permit the participant to be entered in to Payroll System
- This process ensures that payroll department does not add budget to F/EA systems until Customer Service has ensured that the participant has completed all necessary paperwork
- By not entering the budget in the Payroll system, payment of timesheets is not possible
- This ensures that timesheets are not paid for a participant until all required information has been received